MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/. The United States is trying to reformat the system of interstate interaction in the Asia-Pacific Region (APR) and integration of the bloc's forces with AUKUS (Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States) cannot be ruled out, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a video message to the participants in and guests of the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security.

"The United States seeks, among other things, to reformat according to its templates the system of interstate interaction established in the Asia-Pacific Region," Putin said. He noted that the promotion of the so-called Indo-Pacific strategies, "in fact, is aimed at creating Washington-controlled military-political associations."

"We do not rule out that they are after the full integration of NATO forces with the emerging structures of the AUKUS bloc," Putin emphasized.

The US formed the AUKUS alliance with Australia and the UK in 2021. This partnership provides, in particular, for the construction of nuclear submarines for Canberra and a number of other joint military projects. The White House speculated that this bloc might be expanded in the future to incorporate US partners in Europe and Asia.